Railroad-switch



(No Model.) z sheets-sheet 1.

A. T. PAY.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

Nv 276,794. Patented Ma'y1,18:83.4

mvRRToR: y JJ??? RY PQ ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A.. T. PAY.

RAILROAD SWITCH. No. 276,794. Patented May 1,1883.

ATTURNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phmoljuwgnphar. waunngwn. mc.

ALBERT T. FAY, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOS.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming `part of LettersrPatent No. 276,794, dated May l, 1883.

` Application filed May 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. FAY, of Oak Park, in the county ofyCook and State of Illinois, have inventeda new and Improved Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention consists of a switch-lever contrivance and apparatus attached to the locomotive for enabling the switch to be shifted by the locomotive or not, at the will of the engineer, the shifting apparatus being contrived to be set by steam for shifting the switch to right or left, the switch being self-locking, and also being so that when open the switch-rails can be shifted by the wheels, so as to passit in one direction, after which the rails will be shifted back by a. spring arrangement in the switch-bar, so contrived for enabling the train coming upon the main line and wanting to back off over the switch to change the switch before passing it, `so that after passing the .said swiftch it will be set for backing oft' on the branch, as hereinafter fnll y described, and pointed out in the claims. i Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reterenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch, with a part of the switch-lock in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a section through the switch lever and lock on the line cc an, Fig. 1, which is the position ofthe switch-lever when the'switch is set for the siding. Fig. 3 is a section ofthe switchrod contrivance for allowing the wheels to shift the switch-rails when the switch is open. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the said switchbar contrivance. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of portions ot' the locomotive, showing the apparatus thereon for shifting the switch by the locomotive. Fig. 6 is a top viewof the said apparatus. Fig. 7 isa front elevation. Fig. S is a vertical section, and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the steam-valve of the apparatus for setting the switch-shifter.

A represents the main line; B, the branch line; C, the switch-rail; l), the point, and E the guard-rail to hold the switch-rail, and

\ thereby prevent the wheels from being turned ottpn the branch by point D when the switch is set for the main. The point D and switchrail G are connected to cach other by the rod F, and the switch-rail is connected to the switch-bar G by bar H, between the springs l and J, in a box, K, Figs. 3 and 4, :attached to the said bar, which allow the rail to be shifted along the bar, so that when the switch is set for the siding, as represented inFig. 1, a train moving to the right hand will shift the switchrail C and pointD by the flanges of the wheels, so as to pass the switch safely, and after the train has passed the spring l will set the switch again, so that the train may back onto the branch.

In order to control the switch 'from the train when the latter is moving in the opposite direction-that is, from right to left-a lever, K, is arranged upon the ties between the rails, to be shifted by'a shifter attached to the locomotive acting on the stud L ofthe lever K, said lever being arranged on a fnlcrnin-pivot, M, and connected with the switch-bar G by a pin, N. Beyond pin N the end of the switch-lever projects into the lock-case O, to be locked after shifting` the switch by the catches P, which are made to engage it by springs Q3.

R is a trip-lever, pivoted to switch-lever K at S, to trip the catches when theswitch-lever is to be shifted, said lever having a vertical arm, T, working in a slot ofstud L, and being a little wider than said stud, so that it always projects a little beyond the side of stud L, on which the shifter is to act, and is thereby .moved far enough before the shifter acts on stud L to enable the bevelcorners V to unlatch the catches and free the switch-lever at the moment when the shifter strikes it. The trip-leverR is located between upper and lower bars of the switch-lever K', and it has slots to receive the pins M- and N, which connect these two parts of the lever K together and permit it to vibrate between the parts of the lever K'. The springs, forming the connection of point C with the box, cushion the shocks when the train, running rapidly, shifts the switch by the lever K to pass along either the main line or the branch.

The shifter consists ofthe point-headed bar W, suspended by the4 shaftX from the steamchest y, bolted to the under side of the crossbeam Z of the pilot, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The upper end of this shaft X has an os- IOO cillating piston, a, working in the triangular steam-space b, the steam 'being admitted to and exhausted from opposite sides of the piston through ports e, according as the livesteam cavity for the exhaust-passages g of the valve h register with said ports e. Steam is admitted to cavityfthrough pipe a', having suitable connections with the boiler.

It will be noticed that when the valve stands in the'central position, Fig. 8, both sides of the piston a are open to exhaust through passages t'. A movement of-the valve to the right will close the exhaust on that side and open steam-cavityf to the port e of the side, admitting steam to shift piston a, to the left. The reverse motion of the valve will effect a reverse motion of the piston, and the piston thus swings the shifter W to the right or left at the will of the engineer, who works the valve as required by the lever j, located in the cab and connected with the valveby the rods 7c m and crank n, or it may be any equivalent contrivance.

The dotted lines o', Fig. 6', show the range of the shifter when turned by the steam for passing to right or left of switch-lever K for turning it to open or close the switch. This range is to be limited by a stud-pimp, in the upper side of the front end ot' the shifter, which will engage stops 02, said stops being attached to any part ofthe engine suitable for arresting the lever and supporting it when it strikes stud L. A

To return the shifter to the middle position and retain it there, so that it will pass the switch-bar` without lshifting it, a cmple of springs, g, are made to bear against said stud p, said springs being attached to supports t, mounted on a guard,u, that is suspended from the locomotive by bars w. This guard is for the purpose of preventing the switchiever from rebounding after being shifted by its edges w' holding the lever in position to which it is shifted for a short time thereafter, while said guard is passing stud L, to allow the catches P time to engage it.

' It will be seen that the engineer has by this eontrivance command ofthe switch, whichever way his train may be moving and whichever way the switch may be, whether open or closed, l

and the switch can be shifted by hand, if required.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the switch-rail C and the point D, connected together by the bar F, of the switch-bar Gr, connected to said switch-rail by ayielding connection, theswitchlever K', the spring-catches P, and means for disengaging the said lever from the catches by a passing train, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The switch-rail C, connected to theswitclbarG by bar H, and spring I to allow said rail to be shifted by the wheels, and spring J to cushion said rail, substantially as described.

3. The combination of catches P and triplever lt with the switch-lever K', arranged to be shifted by the locomotive, substantially as described.

4. The trip-lever R, in combination with switch-lever K', arranged with an arm, T, wider than the stud L, and on pivotslocated with respect to the pivot- M, substantially as described, whereby the shifter actuates it before actuating said leverK', substantially as described.

5.*The combination, with the switch-lever K', provided with the stud L, and the springcatches P, of the trip-lever B, provided with the arm T, and adapted to be operated by a passing train, substantially as herein l.shown and described.

6. The combination, with the switch -lever K', the spring-catches?, and the trip-lever R, provided with the arm T, of thevsuspended shifter W and means for operating thel sameb substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The shifterW, mounted on thelocomotive, for actuating the switch-lever, and being connected withsteam-cylinder b and piston a, having a reversing steam-valve, substantially as described.

8. The combination of stud-pinp and springs q with shifter lV, substantially as described.

ALBERT T. FAY.

Witnesses B. L. DODGE, E. A. FAY. 

